This invention relates to a cursor mechanism that includes an encoding function, and more particularly to a mechanism that integrates functions of a cursor and an encoder.
In a conventional control apparatus, an encoder and a cursor control means are two essential elements that usually locate independently on a control panel. However, a trend of contemporary design for consumer electronic devices and the like has heavily focused on small size and lightweight. It is particularly true for some of the hot products now in the market place such as cellular phone sets, notebook computers, remote controllers, and other wire or wireless communication gears. Thus, the issue of how to reconfigure the cursor mechanism and the encoder into a limited space becomes a higher-ranking design consideration.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional design that to place the encoder in the center of a cursor mechanism. For saving the panel space, the encoder key 3 is surrounded by cursor pressing keys 2 on a control panel 1. However, it still exists some operational problems to be resolved. For example, to achieve the intend of arranging the encoder key 3 and the cursor pressing keys 2 into the limited space provided by the control panel 1 of the electronic device, both the keys 2 and 3 need to be produced to a relatively small size and to be arranged as close as possible. As one of bad sides upon such an arrangement, possible fault depression stroke might frequently occur while a user operates the control panel 1 by hand and fingers. Yet, it is clear that an improvement upon the arrangement of the encoder key 3 and the cursor pressing key 2 will be highly expected.
It is an object of this invention to provide a cursor mechanism that includes an additional encoding function for saving components"" installation space within a control panel. The cursor mechanism utilizes an elastic member as a universal joint to couple an encoder so that the compact structure can integrate the encoder and the cursor and thus may perform both encoding and cursor functions.
It is another object of this invention to provide a cursor mechanism which may be turned to offer encoding input function and, on the other hand, may be depressed arbitrarily to offer cursor input function.
The cursor mechanism according to this invention includes a key member, an encoder input transmission member, a plurality of cursor input pressing members and a universal joint.
The key member has a top end and an opposing bottom end. The top end provides a means for turning and depressing application. The bottom end provides a protrusive encoder rod extending downward from a center of the bottom end and also includes a plurality of cursor rods surrounding the encoder rod.
The encoder input transmission member has one end engaged with the encoder and another end engaged with the encoder rod through the universal joint for transmitting encoder input from the key member to the encoder.
The cursor input pressing members are arranged with respect to the cursor rods for receiving respective pressing cursor input.
The universal joint provides an elastic link between the encoder rod and the encoder input transmission member for transmitting rotation or depressing action to generate encoder and cursor input signals, and it could be of a rubber sleeve, an elastic module, an universal joint structure or other link modules similar to such function.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the protrusive key member located on a control panel can be linked to the encoder input transmission member through the universal joint, and further connected to the encoder. In the aspect, a gap is maintained between the cursor input pressing member and the cursor rod, by which any unnecessary contact therebetween can be avoided in the case of no external application. By turning the key member, rotational input can be applied to the encoder. By pressing the key member eccentrically so as to make the cursor rod depressing the cursor input pressing member, a respective cursor input signal can thus be produced.
In the present invention, the gap between the cursor input pressing member and the cursor rod is required so that any interference between the encoder and the cursor functions can be avoided or can be reduced to a minimum degree under any circumstance of application.
The cursor input pressing member is the function of receiving pressing signal caused by pressing the key member eccentrically and contacting with the tilted cursor rod, and then transmitting the pressing signal to a relative cursor pressing signal producing members. The embodiment for the said cursor pressing signal producing members could be elastic keys, micro switches that relative to cursor rods, or other structures with similar function.
For more understanding, please refer to the following description with drawings.